PACIFIC 10 BASKETBALL / DAN HAFNER : Approaching Top Form, Cal Faces Arizona

When California made its coaching switch last February, most of the talk was about Lou Campanelli’s firing. There was hardly a mention of interim Coach Todd Bozeman, except to say he was only 30 and inexperienced.

But when the Bears handed Arizona its only Pacific 10 Conference defeat less than a month after Bozeman took over, he became much more than a fill-in.

The Bears, who were 4-5 in conference play when Bozeman became coach, won nine of their last 10 regular-season games and went on to upset Duke in the NCAA tournament.

After a slow start this season, probably because of injuries, the Bears appear to be rounding into form entering tonight’s game against Arizona in Tucson.

The Wildcats (12-1) lost only to Kentucky by a point on a tip-in at the buzzer. They were impressive in their Pac-10 opener against Arizona State.

The Bears (9-2), who were without two injured starters, K.J. Roberts and Alfred Grigsby, were 2-2 to open the season and dropped out of the rankings. But they have won seven in a row, including routs last week of Washington State and Washington. Grigsby may play in one of the two games in Arizona, but Roberts is probably out for the season.

The Cal-Arizona game will feature three of the nation’s best guards. Foremost is Jason Kidd, with his quick hands and uncanny vision. Only a bit behind are Arizona’s Damon Stoudamire and Khalid Reeves. Reeves, who averages 24.5 points, and Stoudamire, 18.8, are second and fourth, respectively in scoring in the conference.

The leader, though, is Lamond Murray of the Bears. Although he is playing out of position at power forward in the absence of Grigsby, Murray has been impressive. He is averaging 24.9 points and almost seven rebounds.

Cal’s slow start might have been affected by two freshmen, 6-foot-10 Michael Stewart and guard Randy Duck, who were so-so at first and have been coming on strong.

Stewart set a Cal record by blocking five shots against Washington, and Duck has had a chance to gain valuable experience with Roberts injured.

Kidd, of course, is Kidd. Although bothered by a cold last week, the Cal sophomore continues to lead the Pac-10 in steals (3.5 per game) and assists (9.1).

“The injuries only helped strengthen us,” said Kidd, who is already No. 3 in steals on the all-time Cal list. “No matter who’s been hurt and who’s playing out of position, nobody’s complaining.”

For a portion of the one-sided victory over Washington, Bozeman, 20-4 as head coach, used five guards at the same time. The big man was 6-6 Monty Buckley, who plays both guard and forward.

Murray totaled 62 points against the Washington schools, making 19 of 24 shots from the field.

The Bears’ weakness has been free-throw shooting at 63.2%.

“Maybe, we’re making too much of it,” Bozeman said. “I just hope if we get down to where we need one (that) Lamond (80.8%) is the shooter.”

Kidd, who is shooting 59.1% from three-point range, is only 61.2% from the free-throw line.

*

Brevin Knight is barely 18, only 5-10 and weighs 155 pounds, but the freshman from Seton Hall, N.J., has been a big man for Stanford.

Knight, who took over as point guard from the start of practice, is one of the main reasons the surprising Cardinal is 9-2 after winning only seven games last season.

Knight made a 16-foot jumper at the buzzer last Thursday night to beat Washington, 67-65, then had 18 points in a 75-64 victory over Washington State.

He will lead Stanford’s attempt to register upsets in Arizona this week. Stanford is at Arizona State tonight and at Arizona on Saturday night.

“As a rule, you don’t want to have a freshman running your offense,” Coach Mike Montgomery said. “So we brought in a junior college All-American and Knight.

“In no time at all, Knight moved in, and the other fellow (Frank Harris) moved out--right out of school.”

Montgomery said he wasn’t really surprised at his team’s fast start.

“We were a better team than a seven-game winner last season,” he said.

Pac-10 Notes

Mario Bennett, the 6-9 Arizona State forward who missed all of last season after knee surgery, apparently is back in form. In his third game in two years, Bennett scored 27 points in a loss to St. Louis last Saturday night. . . . Oregon freshman Kenya Wilkins from Dorsey High averages 9.6 points and 4.2 assists going into Saturday night’s game against Oregon State at Eugene. . . . Brevin Knight gets his unusual first name from the first three letters in his mother’s name (Brenda) and the last three in his father’s (Kevin). . . . Arizona has beaten Stanford 10 times in a row at Tucson.